Pakistan's new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the Interior Ministry to take effective and immediate steps to provide foolproof security to ousted premier Imran Khan in the wake of threats. The threat was issued by the security agencies ahead of his planned participation in a rally in Lahore on Thursday. Khan, who was asked to address his supporters virtually, has declined to do so. A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office on Twitter said that premier Sharif has directed the Interior Ministry to take measures.

"Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Interior Division to take effective and immediate steps for provision of foolproof security to ex-premier Imran Khan. He further said that peaceful public meetings are part of democracy and instructed that no hurdle should be created," it said.

Earlier, the Lahore administration asked the organisers of the rally to install a bulletproof shield for him and also advised the former prime minister to use a bulletproof vehicle with a sunroof and windows shut to move to and from the venue of the rally. Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been asked to install a backup electricity generator to avoid any untoward incident in case of power failure. Khan is set to address a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, which will be his first power show in Lahore since April 10 when he was ousted from the office.

It is believed that the rally would help reorganise the party on the pattern of one such event held on October 30, 2011 at the same venue which transformed the PTI into a mainstream party. The rally comes on the heels of a successful social media address by Khan on Wednesday night which his supporters claimed broke all records.